BLUE Pacific Act 2020-07-27 Introduced in House Boosting Long-term U.S. Engagement in the Pacific Act or BLUE Pacific Act

This bill requires the establishment or expansion of various diplomacy and aid programs related to the Pacific Islands, which include the Cook Islands, Fiji, Palau, and Vanuatu.

Provisions relating to security and law enforcement in the Pacific Islands include those requiring (1) the Department of State and the Department of Homeland Security to expand cross-border maritime law enforcement operations; (2) the State Department to expand International Law Enforcement Academies coverage (the academies provide training to law enforcement agencies in other countries); and (3) the State Department to implement a strategy to combat transnational crime, such as cybercrime and sex trafficking.

The bill also requires the implementation of development-related initiatives in the Pacific Islands, such as by requiring (1) the U.S. Trade Representative to implement a strategy to expand and diversify trade; (2) the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to implement a plan to increase the region's trade capacity; and (3) the USAID to implement programs to improve public health, education outcomes, and climate resilience.

The bill also requires the development and implementation of programs related to press freedom in the Pacific Islands, such as a State Department strategy to strengthen the press and promote press freedom and a U.S. Agency for Global Media strategy to provide expanded media content.

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